Starlight and Snowflakes
by Valcerie Assassin
Summary: Alone and out wandering the streets, Mai reflects on many a cheerfless Christmas. But what happens when she runs into the person she least expected to see? Mai/Joey


Disclaimer: Now let's think for a minute......If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh would I be writing Yu-Gi-Oh fan fics? That does seem a bit unlikely, now doesn't it? If this still hasn't gotten through your skull then I'll put it to you simply. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I think it's fair to assume I don't own Christmas, either.

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The streets were growing empty, the sky was growing darker. The street lights were pale. Small, fluffy snowflakes fluttered to the ground, covering it with glittering powder. The shop windows were alit and all the small toys stared out at the streets with there cheerful faces.

Christmas was a time of joy and childhood. A time when families were closest. Carols filled the air and the whole world seemed to be content, just for a moment.

Mai Valentine pressed her fingers to the glass of one of the windows. The toys were nearly gone and she could see in her mind the small, joyful children playing with them. She smiled bitterly. Those were the memories that lasted. 

She stared absent mindedly at her pale fingers pressed to the glass. In her mind she saw a little girl with her hands against the window staring in on all the toys in wonder. Her eyes were huge and eager. How she longed to have one of those toys of her own. All she could see were the wonders around her. The slay bells, the carols, the laughter, the joy.

But that was years ago and that child had grown older and had realized the cruelty in life. Then, that child didn't know that you are always looking in on that one special toy you just can't have. That was the way the world was and that was why the child had changed.

Mai pulled her fingers away from the glass, feeling her whole body give a weak tremble. She felt so empty and lost. She was cold but she didn't seem to think that was what was bothering her. 

Christmas was nothing if you had no one to spend it with. All around her people passed, hand in hand. Joyful crowds cluttered the sidewalks, singing carols and smiling. Had she ever spent a Christmas like that? No. No memories of love and laughter. Did she really know the meaning of Christmas cheer? No. To her Christmas was a time when her world went crashing down around her and the was nothing to fill the empty void inside her

Slowly, Mai slid down the wall and sat on the side walk with her knees tucked to her chest. She felt like that wide-eyed child again. She listened to the carols as she shivered in the cold, remembering every word and softly singing to her self, her breath coming out in puffs like clouds. 

The carols began to die away and she was alone....again. The skies were now filled with stars and sometimes she could hear the sound of bells. The snow landed on her nose and cheeks, melting and sliding down her neck. 

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night," she whispered, absentmindedly as she watched the lights in the shops flicker out and the toys disappear from view. She was reminded of a small child who sat against the wall, her knees to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Perhaps she hadn't changed entirely. She felt hot tears start to swell up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She was still that child, somewhere. 

She didn't care about her tears. No one was out to see them so it didn't matter, she could cry. Quietly she began to hum, unable to mouth the words of the carols that had long since faded. She didn't care if she froze there, it didn't seem to matter. She closed her eyes and started to slip out of consciousness when something stumbled over her.

Still not fully aware of what had happened, she looked up, groggily. A pair of deep, brown eyes were staring down at her. 

"Well, if it isn't Miss Popular. What are you doin' out here?" The voice sounded concerned and yet sarcastically bewildered. It sounded familiar but she couldn't place it.

Mai tried to focus her eyes and slowly the face peering down at her cleared. It was Joey Wheeler.

"Enjoying the weather," she answered, sounding sarcastic but half dead.

Joey placed a hand on her shoulder, his fingers sending warmth through her body. He drew back.

"You're gonna freeze out here! C'mon, get up."

He helped pull her to her feet. She swayed a little but managed to steady herself.

"Just how long have you been out here?" he asked, now fully sounding like himself again.

Mai shrugged. She didn't want to answer, her voice trembled when she spoke. Tears were still in her eyes and she prayed that Joey wouldn't notice. She tried to remain aloof, but she couldn't. So, she said nothing.

Joey unzipped his jacket and put it over her shoulders. She stared at him, unable to find the words she wanted to say.

"What? I'm not gonna stand here watching you become an ice cube," he said, smiling. Mai smiled back.

"Thanks."

Mai stared up at the stars. Endless soft snowflakes danced to the ground, twinkling in the star light. She looked back at Joey. Tiny snowflakes beaded his hair, making him look young, like the many children the used to play outside.

She tried to picture him with his hands pressed to a shop window, staring in on that one present that meant so much to him. Yeah, she could picture that. Wide-eyed and innocent Joey. 

But he had also changed, even if the snow made him seem like a child again, he wasn't, he had changed.

"You gonna stop staring at me?" he asked, folding his arms.

Mai jumped, being quickly pulled back to reality. She couldn't bring a witty come back to mind, so she said nothing. She couldn't fight, not now. 

"So, what are you doing out here?" She asked, looking into Joey's endless brown eyes.

He shrugged and tilted his head back to look at the sky. He sighed then looked back at her.

"I dunno. Nowhere else to go, I guess."

He placed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, not blinking and refusing to look up.

Mai wondered if spending Christmas alone was just as painful for Joey. Did he wish that he could be part of the joy and laughter? Did he watch all the other people pass in joyful dazed with a bitter smile? Did he long to have the happiness they had? No, she was being stupid. Joey wouldn't care about those things.

"And what's Miss Popular doing out on Christmas?" he asked, looking back at her, his voice sarcastic and irritable. Mai flinched at the name.

She sighed. She wasn't Miss Popular, not tonight. She was on the verge of yelling at Joey but when she looked back at him the words faltered in her throat. His sarcastic expression had turned into a look of concern.

"Same reason as you. No where else to go."

Joey looked genuinely shocked. He stared at her with wide brown eyes. No, it didn't seem plausible for a girl like her to be out on Christmas in the cold weather. She stared back at Joey, expressionless. It was as if it didn't matter what he said next, she would just keep that expressionless face and glance wistfully at the stars and snow. 

Joey sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mai," Joey started, turning away. "It's Christmas. No one should be out here alone."

Mai swallowed. Maybe Christmas did matter to Joey. Maybe inside he, too, wished to be loved. She shook her head. Loved? That wasn't what she meant, or was it? She stared at Joey, feeling overwhelmed with a sort of sorrow. 

No, she wouldn't slowly become soft. Not around Joey. She was letting her loneliness make her mind function differently. Joey wasn't the type to get torn up over Christmas. She ground her teeth and forced a carefree, tough look unto her face.

"Who cares? What's Christmas?"

She began to walk away. She didn't dare look back, she might be consumed be tears. She forced herself just to keep walking.

"Christmas?" Joey began. "Christmas is a time of joy, love. A time when memories are truly made. When everyone is carefree and closer to their loved ones."

Mai stopped in her tracks. Her shoulders began to tremble. Joey continued.

"Or for some it is a time to wish for that joy. Even the most insensitive can feel like a small, lonely child. Wishing for something they just can't have."

Mai spun on her heels and faced Joey with her eyes wide. It was as if someone had brought back her past. She stared at Joey. Were those truly his words? Yes. Yes they were, but she had never heard him speak in such a way. She had never heard any one speak in such a way.

She could feel her hands trembling, her body weakening. Tears burned behind her eyes. She tried to turn away, she tried to not to care, she tried to hold back her tears, but in a painful moment she knew that there was nothing she could do. A soft sob escaped her lips. Trembling, she collapsed onto her knees, her palms press against the icy cement. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as hot tears burned their way down her frozen cheeks. She didn't dare look up, she couldn't.

Suddenly, she felt a hand tilting her chin up. She found herself staring up into Joey's eyes as he knelt infront of her. His hand shifted to caress her cheek. He smiled and brushed a tear away with his thumb. 

"Stop crying. Your tears are going to turn into icicles if you keep this up." he paused. "Damn, I'm no good at this....." he mumbled, trying to think of anything that sounded the least bit comforting. 

Mai sputtered, half crying half laughing. She didn't know what to think. Slowly a horribly Christmas was beginning to seem not to far from perfect. She fell silent, lost in Joey's eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Joey smiled, reassuringly.

"Hey, Merry Christmas, Mai."

Those seemed to be the words she had longed to hear for many a lonely Christmas. She flung her arms about Joey's shoulders. A very startled Joey hesitantly returned the embrace.

"Merry Christmas, Joey."

Mai felt she could have stayed like that forever. She didn't feel the cold weather. All she saw was the snow and the stars...and Joey. It seemed like time itself had stopped and Mai might have believed that if the snow wasn't still falling down around them.

"C'mon," Joey started, taking her by both hand and helping her to her feet. He was about to start another sentence when all in a scramble he found himself falling. He was sure which one of them had lost their balance first on the slick ice or how. All he was sure of was that they were both plummeting towards the ground. In a panic he tried desperately to regain his footing but it was a hopeless attempt. 

He landed face first in the snowdrift at the edge of the sidewalk, Mai right beside him. He pulled his snow caked face from the drift and looked over at Mai, who turned over on her back and stared up at the stars, laughing very softly.

Joey grunted and turned over to face her.

"They look kinda like snowflakes from down here."

Mai turned to face him. 

"The stars, I mean."

She nodded.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

Joey laughed and brushed a few of the snowflakes from her cheeks. She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly serious. She placed her hand over his and closed her amethyst eyes. She looked very pale against the white snowflakes. 

Joey was held fast in place. It was as if the cold had frozen him to the spot, though inside he was burning. Mai's eyes opened again. She stared back at him, painfully aware of the space between them. Their noses were almost touching. 

Slowly, very slowly, Joey began to lean towards Mai. She could feel his breath upon her face. His lips were parted ever so slightly, his eyes were closed. Mai was only able to draw in a shaky breath before his lips brushed hers. 

A tingling sensation ran through her body and she felt her heart pound, her ears ringing. His lips were rough and yet very gentle as they molded to hers, making her body tremble.

Mai ran her fingers through his snow-blanketed hair, resting them on the back of his neck. She pulled him more violently towards her. He pressed his lips harder against hers. Another shiver ran down her spine. 

Joey gripped both her shoulders firmly then slowly traced his way down her arms. Suddenly he pulled away. 

"Mai, you're freezin'."

Mai stared back at him blankly. Then she began to laugh. 

"What?"

"I don't feel cold at all."

Joey smiled and fell back against the snow, looking back up at the stars, his eyes shining. Mai lay on her back beside him.

"Hey, Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Joey smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Mai."

"Merry Christmas."

~End~


End file.
